Trying to Cope
by Chiyoraka
Summary: Beck dumps Jade. Jade finds a way to cope with it. Tori finds out about how Jade copes with the pain and, being the goody-goody she is, tries to help Jade. JORI FRIENDSHIP. Warning: Can be triggering.
1. Chapter 1

**A.N. Depending on if I get positive reviews or not, I may or may not continue with this story. I'm not really satisfied with how this first chapter came out, and I'm not sure where I want this story to go. So...yeah. Tell me what you think.**

**Jade's P.O.V**

I walk over to my desk and grab my favorite pair of scissors. Then I walk over to my bathroom. I press the blade firmly against my wrist, and drag it across. It stings, but I ignore the pain. I repeat this action again and again, until a steady flow of blood seeps from the wound. I watch the blood flow for a few minutes, then reach over and turn on the faucet. The water gushes out, washing away the evidence of what I had done. I rinse the cut and the scissors thoroughly, and spread some Neosporin on the cut. Lastly, I slap an extra-large bandaid over the wound. Exhausted, I stumble over to my bed. As soon as my head hits the pillow, I'm out like a light.

The next morning I wake up. I peel the bandaid off the laceration to take a closer look at the angry mark on my wrist. I spread some more of the salve onto the wound and put a fresh bandaid onto it. I take a little more care choosing my outfit this morning, considering I have to hide the stupid mark. I end up deciding on a black sweater and black skinny jeans. I go downstairs and make my morning coffee. I sigh as I sip the bitter brown liquid.

When I get to school, I finish off my coffee and throw the cup in the trash. When I turn around, a small red ball of energy collides into me.

"JADE! GUESS WHAT GUESS WHAT GUESS WHAT!" Cat squeals, hopping around like a bunny.

"What," I mutter, yawning.

"MY BROTHER GOT A NEW PUPPY TODAY!" She exclaims, her voice dripping with excitement.

"That's cool."

"But he killed it," She says, looking a little bit sadly at me. "But my brother told me that it went to doggy heaven and he was going to be able to eat all the treats he wants up there." She says this last bit in a brighter tone.

"Why did he-..." I stop myself suddenly, realizing that if I asked she'd probably go on about it forever. "You know what Cat? Why don't you go and get some candy? Here's a dollar." I hand her the dollar.

"KAY KAY!" She squeals and is gone in an instant, running to a snack machine to get her candy.

I roll my eyes and walk into Sikowitz's class.

"DRIVE-BY ACTING EXERCISE!" Sikowitz announced. "YOU'RE ALL DEPRESSED TEENAGERS WHO JUST GOT DUMPED BY YOUR BOYFRIEND OR GIRLFRIEND."

Irritation bubbles up from inside of me. Everyone in the class knew that he only made that exercise due to Beck and I breaking up...again. This time maybe even for good. I saw him talking to a Northridge girl, which is why what happened last night...happened. I glance over at Beck to see his reaction to this acting exercise. He looks just as put off by it as I do. Good. I sit back in the uncomfortable chair and attempt to take a nap.

At lunch I go to grab a burrito from Festus and hurriedly lock myself in the janitor's closet. I didn't want to see Beck, after all. I didn't want to see or talk to anybody. I take a bite of the burrito, but it just sticks to the top of my mouth like glue. I could feel tears threatening to make an appearance. But I swallow them down. Jade West doesn't cry. Crying is weak. I dig my fingernails into my palms, trying my best to pull myself back together.

I tilt my head back and rest it on the wall I'm sitting against.

"Why?" I sigh, my voice trembling slightly.


	2. Chapter 2

**A.N. Still deciding whether or not to continue this. I wrote this chapter during school today because I was bored. I don't think I'm very good with writing things where people feel hurt... I don't know. Maybe I should just go back to writing sappy, fluffy romantic Jori stories instead xP Let me know what you think, anyway.**

**Tori's P.O.V**

So far today's been an interesting day. Sikowitz made us act like depressed teenagers in class today due to the tense atmosphere created by Beck and Jade. Seriously, those two need to stop fighting already. During class I looked over at Jade a couple times. She doesn't look like she's handling the break up as well as she normally does. The bell rings.

"Hey Tori! Are you coming to get lunch with us?" Andre asks me.

"Sure! I'm as hungry as a bear."

"You're a bear? When did that happen?" Cat says excitedly. We grab lunch and sit at our usual table. Beck sits with us, but Jade is nowhere to be found.

"Hey do any of you know where Jade is?" I ask while chewing a mouthful of lettuce, cheese, and ham.

"I haven't seen her since we left class," Robbie answers.

"That gank's probably wrecking a classroom or something right now," Rex snickers.

"REX!" Robbie says exasperatedly.

"I'm just sayin'."

"Whatever," I say. "I'm going to go find her." I finish the last bit of my salad and throw away the plastic plate and utensils. Then I walk back into the school.

I first check the Black Box Theatre and Sikowitz's classroom. No Jade. Then I remember the place she went when she couldn't get the money for her play, Well Wishes. The janitor's closet. I walk across the hall to it and peek into the little window. I was right, Jade WAS in there. I try to turn the doorknob to find that it's locked. I knock on the door.

"JADE. CAN YOU OPEN THE DOOR?" I yell, gesturing to her through the window. Her head snaps up and glares at me, but the glare is weak.

"Go away, Vega," she snarls. But even that sounds fragile.

"Come on, Jade. Just open the door." I wait for a little while, then turn away. I hear the little click in the door signaling that it was unlocked. I go in and shut the door behind me. Jade's back in the same position as when I first found her. I sit next to her, and we sit in silence for awhile. I look at her quietly, longer than I intended, when she speaks.

"So are you going to ask me what's wrong? Or are you just going to sit there staring at me like an idiot?" She snaps.

"Uhhh...what's wrong?"

"Oh, please. You already know what's wrong. I broke up with Beck, remember?"

"I thought Beck broke up with you..."

"I broke up with Beck. I dumped him."

"Okay...so do you want to talk about it?"

"No."

"I think you do. You unlocked the door, after all."

"Fine. I do."

We sit in silence for a little while longer.

"It's kind of hot, don't you think?" I take off my jacket.

"No, I'm fine."

"You always wear dark, thick clothing. Come on, take the sweater off."

"No." She snaps, with a slightly more panicked tone.

"Come-on-just...take- it- off." I struggle to make her take it off and when I get it off, she gives me an ice cold glare, and folds her arms stiffly.

"Why are you standing like that?" I demand. "What are you hiding from me?"

"Nothing. Can you just get out?"

"No. Show me your arms."

"NO."

I reach over and pry her arms free. Surprisingly enough, after the initial struggle, she doesn't offer much resistance. My eyes widen. There's a bandaid on her wrist. Her wrist. I slowly peel the bandaid back to find a cut about 3 inches across.

"Oh, Jade..." I murmur softly.


	3. Chapter 3

**A.N. So...I guess I'm continuing it. For now, at least. I don't think this is going to be a particularly LONG story, though. Anyways, thanks for all the reviews and favorites, and tell me what you think.**

**Tori's P.O.V**

"Oh, Jade..." I murmur softly.

"See? Now you know. So get out."

"But-"

"OUT."

"We need to ta-"

"NO. OUT. GET OUT." She yells, shoving me out the door.

"But-," She slams the door shut and locks it.

"HEY AT LEAST GIVE ME MY STUFF," I whine, I pound on the door with my fist once, and the door flies open and my stuff is shoved at me before being closed again.

"Well, thanks," I mutter sarcastically. I show up to class just barely on time. Jade doesn't show up for class for the rest of the day, as I'd expected. When the final bell rings I attempt to look for her, but Trina insists on going home because a fortune cookie told her that she would "Find her greatest treasure at home."

**~That night~**

I tried to do my homework, but I couldn't concentrate with all the things rushing through my mind. After awhile of trying and failing to concentrate on math, I decide I'd go to sleep. About three minutes after I lay there I figure out that I'm not going to get ANY sleep that night. So, I get up, grab a jacket and my pearphone, and walk out of the house.

Jade lives less than five minutes away from my house, so in no time I was there. Standing outside her house. Late at night. I start to question my logic about coming to her house, but I still quietly slip into her backyard.

We were here once. The entire group decided to meet up and for once it wasn't at my house. Luckily, her room was on the first floor of the building. I walk up to her giant window and peek inside. No Jade to be seen. I tap on the window, whispering in a hushed tone, "Jade. JADE. Are you in there?"

**Jade's P.O.V**

I quietly sat on the tile floor of my bathroom, turning the pair of scissors around and around in my hands. I couldn't get Vega's shocked expression out of my face. _"Oh, Jade..."_ And the expression of compassion after she'd gotten over the initial shock. After I shut her out of the closet, I wondered _why _I didn't try harder to keep her from finding out. I could have easily overpowered her. But I didn't. Why? I let the back of my head hit the wall I was leaning against. Again, and again, and again. My fingers trace over the new cut, scarlet red against pale white skin. I'd done it across the other cut, making it a large "X" across my wrist. Then I heard a tapping from my bedroom window and hushed whispers.

"Jade. JADE. Are you in there?"

It couldn't be...it was. It was Vega. What the hell was _she _doing here? It was almost twelve in the morning. I walk over to the window and open it.

"What do you want, Vega." I snap.

"We need to talk, Jade."

"No we don't. I already told you we didn't need to talk about anything." Her eyes scan over me, analyzing my facial expressions, my mood, and finally stops at my left wrist. I forgot to hide the new cut. She stares at me with extreme sadness in her eyes. I groan.

"FINE. Get inside," I mutter, irritated. She climbs in through the window and sits on my bed. I flop down next to her.

"What do you want to talk about," I snap. Surely she's going to threaten to reveal this to everyone at school. Turn the scariest girl into the most pitiful person on campus.

"I'm worried about you, Jade," She says with genuine sincerity. I almost break down right then and there. I'd...forgotten how it felt like to be cared about. I want so much to just allow myself to trust her. To trust the girl I'm supposed to hate. But I can't. I can't. I can't trust anybody. Everyone's going to leave me in the end anyways.

So instead of giving in, I glare at her.

"Oh, come on Jade. Please," She says. "I know you're not okay." Her voice softens and she reaches over to gently lift up my arm. I offer no resistance to her, and she lightly touches the wounds. She runs a finger down my arm, down the fresh cuts and older scars.

"It's okay to cry, you know," She whispers, and I instantly snap. All the held in feelings suddenly burst out: my anger towards Beck for dumping me, my jealousy towards Tori's talent, my anger towards my dad for never being around, my sadness due to my mother dying when I was only seven years old. Tori wraps her arms around me comfortingly, and I sob into her shoulder. After a long time, I calm down a little bit and she speaks.

"Do you want to talk about it right now?" She asks. I shake my head as I let out a small whimper.

"Okay," She says. "Let's get you to bed, okay?" I nod, and let her undress me and put me into my pajamas. I get in between the covers and she tucks me in.

"Don't leave me," I whisper desperately.

"Don't worry," She answers. "Let me just send a quick message to my mom to tell her my friend had an emergency that I had to help out with.." She types something out on her pearphone and takes off her shoes. She then slips under the covers with me, and I automatically cling to her as she rewraps her arms around me. She murmurs soothingly to me and rubs my back in calming circles.

"Sing me a song," I murmur sleepily.

"What song?"

"Anything."

"Okay."

**_I remember tears streaming down your face_**

**_When I said, "I'll never let you go"_**

**_When all those shadows almost killed your light_**

**_I remember you said, "Don't leave me here alone"_**

**_But all that's dead and gone and passed tonight_**

I nestle myself closer to her.

**_Just close your eyes_**

**_The sun is going down_**

My eyelids droop lower.

**_You'll be alright_**

**_No one can hurt you now_**

I exhale contentedly.

**_Come morning light_**

**_You and I'll be safe and sound_**

And as I drift away to sleep, the last thing I remember is Tori kissing me on my forehead, just the way my mom did the night before she died.

**A.N. I'm having fun writing this now. YAY! :) I'll have the next chapter up ASAP, though I think that'll be the last chapter of this story. Thanks for reading!**


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